Rogue roofer, 37, who fleeced pensioner out of £25,000 for a job that cost just £300 is jailed
- George Austin, 37, convinced the 64-year-old victim to agree to the job
- Austin, from Lancaster, told her the already suitable roof needed replacing
A serial rogue trader who fleeced a pensioner out of £25,000 for a £320 job has been jailed after causing ‘misery and stress’ to his victims.
George Austin, 37, quoted the lower price when persuading his victim that she needed a new roof – but soon upped the figure to a staggering £25,000.
Austin, from Lancaster, convinced the 64-year-old victim to agree to the job on her doorstep after telling her the roof needed replacing, a court heard.
He went on to demand – and get – £25,000 and requested a further £5,000 before vanishing after she refused to pay the extra amount.
Austin was exposed after the woman, who lives with her elderly father, reported him to Lancashire Trading Standards.
The roof was deemed to be suitable for the next 40-50 years by trading standards inspectors, who stated that no more than £300 of work had taken place.
District Judge Healey sentenced the roofer to ten months in prison and said he was a ‘prime example of a rogue trader who had caused misery and stress to his victims’.
In a statement read to Preston Crown Court, the victim said she felt exploited by Austin and believes he took advantage of her grief after she lost her mother.
A second victim from a separate offence claimed that Austin had left his wife feeling ‘broken’, while another said his wife’s personality had changed as a result of her experiences with the rogue trader.
Austin blamed a bereavement in his family for the crime, claiming it led him to drink and prioritise himself over others.
The roofer also said he was genuinely sorry. Speaking after the hearing, Lancashire County Councillor Michael Green said: ‘This is another shocking example of a rogue trader being sent to prison for ripping off vulnerable consumers in their own homes. His actions have inflicted significant harm upon many victims in Lancashire.’
A hearing to make Austin repay the money he stole from his victims is set to take place later this year.
